{"id":44691,"date":"2025-03-29T01:09:43","date_gmt":"2025-03-29T01:09:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=44691"},"modified":"2025-03-29T01:09:43","modified_gmt":"2025-03-29T01:09:43","slug":"breaking-braves-3-most-surprising-opening-day-roster-decisions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=44691","title":{"rendered":"BREAKING: Braves’ 3 most surprising Opening Day roster decisions"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Braves will start the season without three of their biggest star players.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Opening Day could have gone better for the Atlanta Braves, who lost to the San Diego Padres 7\u20134. The Braves held a 4\u20133 lead going into the seventh, thanks to an Austin Riley go-ahead homer in the top of the fourth inning. Then Atlanta\u2019s bullpen surrendered four runs, starting with a 405-foot pinch-hit homer by Gavin Sheets.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s just one game, with 161 to go over a long season. But this is a Braves team that once again has high aspirations, with the goal to return and win the World Series like they did back in 2021. They don\u2019t want to wait another 26 years to win another.<\/p>\n

When it comes to Opening Day, the roster that begins the season might not necessarily be the one that finishes. For the Braves, that\u2019s what they\u2019re hoping for. Atlanta was without top stars outfielder Ronald Acu\u00f1a Jr., catcher Sean Murphy, and last year’s Opening Day starter Spencer Strider. All three are expected back at some point this season, as the Braves hope to regain the NL East title.<\/p>\n

With what should be three of their main contributors out, that meant the Opening Day roster was going to include some surprises \u2014 none more than Murphy\u2019s replacement, Drake Baldwin.<\/p>\n

Drake Baldwin makes first-career MLB start<\/strong><\/h2>\n

With Murphy out with a broken rib, the Braves had to reach into their farm system to find a replacement. Baldwin, surprisingly, got the nod not just to join the roster but to make the start in the first game, catching for 2024 NL Cy Young winner Chris Sale.<\/p>\n

The 24-year-old is the Braves\u2019 top prospect and ranked No. 63 overall, according to MLB. Baldwin got the nod over Chadwick Tromp, who has been called up several times over the last couple of seasons.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s so surprising about Baldwin\u2019s move is that many feared bringing him up to the big leagues was a bit premature. But the Braves found themselves in a predicament after letting veteran Travis d\u2019Arnaud hit free agency, where he landed with the Los Angeles Angels.<\/p>\n

Once Murphy is healthy, it\u2019s likely that Baldwin is sent back down to Triple-A Gwinnett \u2014 unless he proves to be productive. On Thursday, he went 0-for-3 with one walk and one strikeout.<\/p>\n

Bullpen struggles in opening game against Padres<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Again, nothing should be too surprising about the Braves\u2019 Opening Day bullpen, considering the offseason they had \u2014 or lack thereof. To be considered a World Series favorite, the Braves were one of the quieter teams in MLB during the offseason, watching as the rest of the league went shopping.<\/p>\n

But not only did the Braves make little to no moves to their bullpen, they lost significant pieces in A.J. Minter (free agency) and Joe Jim\u00e9nez (knee surgery). The two setup relievers were sorely missed against the Padres in Game 1.<\/p>\n

Relieving Dylan Lee, H\u00e9ctor Neris entered the game in the bottom of the seventh and gave up the Sheets home run without recording an out. Braves manager Brian Snitker made the quick decision to go with Aaron Bummer, his current top lefty reliever, to salvage the damage and keep the game tied 4\u20134. Instead, San Diego scored three more times, eventually giving them the win.<\/p>\n

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Related Atlanta Braves NewsArticle continues below<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cIt was a tough inning in all respects, really,\u201d Snitker said, via The Athletic<\/em>.<\/p>\n

To say the least.<\/p>\n

This is what the Braves\u2019 Opening Day bullpen looked like: RHP Raisel Iglesias, RHP Pierce Johnson, LHP Dylan Lee, LHP Aaron Bummer, RHP H\u00e9ctor Neris, RHP Enyel De Los Santos, RHP Jos\u00e9 Suarez, RHP Daysbel Hern\u00e1ndez.<\/p>\n

The relief corps is likely to hit a few snags like this until they find their groove. But for Snitker and general manager Alex Anthopoulos, they had better hope this group figures it out \u2014 or they may regret their lack of offseason additions.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s really puzzling about the bullpen is that former reliever Grant Holmes relieved Bummer in the eighth. Holmes is now considered the Braves\u2019 fifth starter \u2014 likely until Strider returns. He\u2019s slated to be the Braves\u2019 starter in Monday\u2019s game against the Dodgers in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

Right field platoon<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Acu\u00f1a is slated to return sometime in May, so for now, Braves fans will have to settle for a platoon in right field until the slugger makes his comeback. On Thursday, it was last year\u2019s addition Jarred Kelenic getting the start against right-hander Michael King. He\u2019ll be splitting duties mostly with Bryan De La Cruz.<\/p>\n

With the addition of Jurickson Profar \u2014 by far Atlanta\u2019s most notable free-agent signing this offseason \u2014 left field should be taken care of for most of the season. Michael Harris II is also hoping for an injury-free season, holding down center field.<\/p>\n

When healthy, this could be one of the most dangerous outfields in all of baseball, as Acu\u00f1a\u2019s return will be significant \u2014 especially if he returns to form from a second ACL surgery. Something to keep an eye on, however, is how Snitker and the Braves position Kelenic, who was a big acquisition for Atlanta last year.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Braves’ Opening Day roster came with plenty of surprises, with some of their top stars still on the injured list.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":44692,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[71,44,1126,1166],"class_list":["post-44691","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb","tag-atlanta-braves","tag-mlb","tag-mlb-editorials","tag-opening-day"],"yoast_head":"\nBREAKING: Braves' 3 most surprising Opening Day roster decisions - NEWS USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=44691\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"BREAKING: Braves' 3 most surprising Opening Day roster decisions - 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